I had not realised it has been so long since I last updated the blog.
I could make excuses like holidays in Portugal and Sardinia – however they aren’t really excuses as wherever I go the laptop goes with me.
Rather than spend too much time looking back, this is the time to look forward to four days of high class racing in the Gloucestershire countryside.
I refer, of course, to the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival, or as everyone else calls it – Cheltenham. The remainder does not need to be said.
Every year there is the sense of anticipation, however the 2008 renewal has the greatest expectation in a long time and it is all down to one race. The big race.
The racing forums have been abuzz with heated debate as to who is the better horse the defending champion Kauto Star or the pretender, Denman. The clash made all the more intriguing as both are trained by Paul Nicholls.
Many die hard racing fans had a sleepless night on Saturday, following reports of Kauto Star suffering an injury and, heaven forbid, he would miss Cheltenham . Luckily it seems rumour control was working overtime and what was, a one point a carer threatening fetlock injury, just turned out to be a minor infection.
So with a little less than three weeks to the Gold Cup we are still on course for one of racings big clashes.
Or are we?
How many times have we been promised do or die races, only to end up disappointed. It must be remembered this is a Gold Cup, a field with plenty of top horses.
Exotic Dancer would, had he not had the misfortune to be around the same time as Kauto Star, in all probability have been a Gold Cup winner himself by now. He is also a horse that loves Cheltenham. The presence of the top two have really forced out his odds and I would suggest he is the each way banker of the Festival.
My Cheltenham dream is to see Kauto Star, Denman and Exotic Dancer rounding the final turn together, clear of the field. What happens next – we will have to wait unti just after 3:20 og March 14th.
Meanwhile I am returning to the reality of frost and abandoned race meetings – Baby It’s Cold Outside.
I could make excuses like holidays in Portugal and Sardinia – however they aren’t really excuses as wherever I go the laptop goes with me.
Rather than spend too much time looking back, this is the time to look forward to four days of high class racing in the Gloucestershire countryside.
I refer, of course, to the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival, or as everyone else calls it – Cheltenham. The remainder does not need to be said.
Every year there is the sense of anticipation, however the 2008 renewal has the greatest expectation in a long time and it is all down to one race. The big race.
The racing forums have been abuzz with heated debate as to who is the better horse the defending champion Kauto Star or the pretender, Denman. The clash made all the more intriguing as both are trained by Paul Nicholls.
Many die hard racing fans had a sleepless night on Saturday, following reports of Kauto Star suffering an injury and, heaven forbid, he would miss Cheltenham . Luckily it seems rumour control was working overtime and what was, a one point a carer threatening fetlock injury, just turned out to be a minor infection.
So with a little less than three weeks to the Gold Cup we are still on course for one of racings big clashes.
Or are we?
How many times have we been promised do or die races, only to end up disappointed. It must be remembered this is a Gold Cup, a field with plenty of top horses.
Exotic Dancer would, had he not had the misfortune to be around the same time as Kauto Star, in all probability have been a Gold Cup winner himself by now. He is also a horse that loves Cheltenham. The presence of the top two have really forced out his odds and I would suggest he is the each way banker of the Festival.
My Cheltenham dream is to see Kauto Star, Denman and Exotic Dancer rounding the final turn together, clear of the field. What happens next – we will have to wait unti just after 3:20 og March 14th.
Meanwhile I am returning to the reality of frost and abandoned race meetings – Baby It’s Cold Outside.
